Apparatus for the heat treatment of metalliferous materials



1931' I R. A. STOKES ET AL 1,788,351.

APPARATUS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT OF METALLIFEROUS MATERIALS Filed MarCh5, 1930 RE 6 v m 51 g cD (Q10 apparatus, capable of treating cheaply aareilrollowaand 'arerota'tably :mounted on a highly efiicient manner.

Patented Jan. 6, 1931 RI HABD'ALBERT STOKES AND EDWINGILBERTiLLEWELLZZNJOBERTSQ, omjrionnou,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS To ENG-LAND n. M. s. INmIsTRIAnirnooEssEsi EIMITED;or! .noirnou,

APPARATUS non THE HEAT TREATMENT 0 mamrmaes man gesf1 Applicationfiled'March 5, 1930, Serial No. anthemin?emarmraain nmberace-i928. r

We have found that the apparatus de-sa scribed in the specification ofLetters Paten hi clr ithez'tre'atedi Fm ateria-l isrexfp elledrbyitheaction ofahe conveyor 9.1 1

1- Eaclr "of 'thewtroughs isiiprovidecldwith a" The primary objectof thepresent inven cisenve to agitate and mixitheimaterialifdiiring tion isto provide an improved and modified large bulk of metalliferousmaterial, with a mimmum degree of supervision, and lira- The presentinvention consists in appara tus for the heat treatment ofmetalliferouits passage over the troughs? ?Theisliafts? 1O -bearings im externalitouthe: casing ifra'ndnre drrvemb bevel-"ears 1i3-:mounteduona'suittolbe itreat'edi.andaamoiitlet B; imietherend fiwalls off: thed'astr:trough;"ofithe seriesrfrnm' arble shafti Goe'ling orheatingmedium: is

dapte'd-i to berfed hymeans of vtheipipeal t to hat end of 'thfehollowfishaftild adjacenttthe material, comprising a solid bed havingits bevel wheel 18 rind-to be' returnedrialqn .r the upper surface inthe form of a series of annulan?spacerbetween theagpipeigl inasn tithetroughs or depressions of arcuate cross-sec armer surface-*i'of thehotlowt shaftt 10Wto a tion over which the material is adapted to heFig. 1 shows diagrammatically a longitudinal section of a suitableapparatus, and I Fig. 2- is a transverse section of the form 0 apparatusshown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings The apparatus comprises a solid bed 1 offireclay or other refractory material, havingits upper surface in theform of 'a series of troughs or depressions 2 of arcuate crosssection. IV

In the particular constructlon shown the 7 bed of the apparatus isformed of a plurality of refractory blocks 3, whereby a damaged portionof thebed may be readily removed and various structural alterations may,when necessary, be more conveniently made. The refractory troughs arealso shown provided with a floor or lining t of suitable metal, althoughit will be understood that in some, cases the metal lining may bedispensed with. This solid bed 1 forms the floor of a cham her 5, theupper part 6 of which is formed as shown, the said chamber beingprovided near one end thereof with an inlet 7 for thematecreasing-Temperature.

convenienureceptacl'e- 15 -The holloW sha-fts 10 may when necessary l'eed by solid shafts. V .The material under treat1nent tome-fedthoruglrthe let 7-; and afteiepassing' over the tro'ug-hs the actionimfthe p'addlesa" orstirrersyis finally passed out to; lie lateral opening8-= by the operation} of the screw conveyor :9 mounted 1 in. the lasttrough f theeseries. l 'Th'e hot gases: 1 formingnthe is adapted-'--heating medium l for the mater ial are passed 7 hereoverina'directionopposedto the move:-;; H *ment of -th'e matefii al througlrth'eapparatus and in direct contact-'"therewith, thewihot gases enteringby theassageno and passing out through the passage 17 In this mannerthematerials are subjected-to -a gradually ins;

In some cases the heating means shown may be supplemented or replaced byheating means provided beneath the bed of the re tOI't. V i

In order to ensure that the apparatus works at its greatest efficiency,the material in the trough should preferably be above the level of theshafts carrying the paddles or stirrers.

While thematerial to be treated hasbeen;

described as coming into direct contact with the hotgases forming theheating means, it will be understood that the heat may be applied to thematerial indirectly and that the heating medium may be produced from acoal or desirable-whe l es fire, pulverized fuel flame, gas or oilflame,or it may be heated electrically, WhllB'iIl the case ofmaterialscontainingsulphur, the heat for increasing the temperature of suchmaterialis generated by the combustion of the sulphur contained in thematerial, no furtherheating mediumbeing necessary, v 7 By. theintroduction into the first trough or depression of the material to betreated, V material 1s lncreased 1n temperature aHd'J-H the case Wherematerial isto be treated by a reagent, intimatemixing occurs,andthe de-,

sired chemical reactions take place;

The action of .'the,paddles,;stirrers,agi tators or conveyors isthree-fold; it allows or d the material being brought into intim'atefandV constantly renewed contact; with the heating medium; it assists in-the conveying; of the,

7' material from oneitrough or depression to another, and it alsoprevents theinaterial,

fromcaking and in some cases renders it i down into a finely dividedstate.

What we claim and desire t o secure byrLeti ters Patent is 5 1. 'Inanapparatus for the hea t treatment of metalliferous material,the-combination, of a solid bed having its upper surface inthe i form ofa series of troughs or depressions,

over which ethe material is adapted to be passediin a transversedirection, and means individual to eachtrough for stirringand;

Y mixing the material in said trough and as-'- sisting in feeding to thenext troughin the;v series material in excess of the capacity of thetrough.

2. In an apparatus for the heat'treatment 1 I of metalliferous material,the combination'of 5 I I I a solid bed havingiits upper surface in theform ofaseries of troughs or depressions, over Which'the material isadapted to'be' passed in a transverse direction, a metal cover fortheupper surface of each of the said 7 troughs, and means individual toeach trough for stirring and mixing the material in said trough andassisting in feeding tothe next trough in the series material in excessof the capacity of the trough. 1

In testimony whereof We affix our signa tures. 1 I r a -RICHARD A;STOKES.

EDWIN non'nn'rsl

